GameStop will halt trade-ins of PlayStation 2 games on June 1

If you plan to pay for a PlayStation 4 by selling off your PS2 game collection, hurry -- GameStop will quit taking trade-ins on June 1

If you're planning to trade in your massive PlayStation 2 game collection to help pay for a PlayStation 4 later this year, you'd better do it soon as GameStop will stop accepting all PS2 trade-ins on June 1.

Some GameStop stores have already stopped accepting trade-ins, based on calls by TechHive to several GameStop locations. So you may have to call around to see which locations are still accepting them in your area. GameStop representatives have not yet responded to a request for comment.

News of GameStop's decision to halt PS2 trade-ins surfaced online after user eGORapTure posted a photo of GameStop's policy to Reddit. The photo was titled, "Goodnight sweet prince." GameStop's trade-in policy change comes several months after Sony confirmed it had ceased production of the PS2 worldwide after rolling out the console 13 years ago.

The PS2 is still Sony's best-selling console of all time, with 150 million units sold and a catalog of more than 10,000 game titles, the Guardian reported in January.

On the first day the PS2 was available in the United States in late October 2000, retailers sold out of the console within minutes. Sony had planned to ship one million PS2 units for the console's American debut, but component supply issues for the PS2 restricted the U.S. launch inventory to 500,000. With the console selling out so quickly and many excited gamers waiting to get their hands on the PS2, enterprising buyers were selling their PS2 consoles on eBay for as much as $1500--while the device retailed for $300.

PS2 was groundbreaking in its day

The PS2 was noteworthy for its 128-bit gaming, a hard drive expansion slot, and 26 significant launch titles including Madden NFL 2001. One of the biggest selling points for the PS2, however, was its built-in DVD player. The feature was not part of rival Nintendo's GameCube or Sega's DreamCast. Microsoft's upstart console the Xbox, which shipped a year later, required an extra purchase to unlock DVD playback.

The PS2's long list of popular titles included early games such as Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty in 2001 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in 2002, as well as later hits such as 2003's SOCOM II: U.S. Navy Seals and 2005's God of War.

One thing Sony didn't foresee, however, was the popularity of online gameplay. Although Sony's PS2 was touted as being "Internet ready," the original console didn't provide built-in Internet connectivity. In 2002, while Microsoft was busy releasing Xbox Live for the Xbox and its built-in ethernet adapter, Sony released a $40 network adapter enabling the PS2 to get online. Sony finally caught up to Xbox Live during the era of the Xbox 360 and the PS3, after the company announced the PlayStation Network in 2006.

While the PS2 is quickly entering the history books, Sony is looking ahead to its next-generation console, the PlayStation 4. Sony announced its newest console in February, but did not reveal what the console will look like. The guts of the PS4 will feature PC-like components including an eight-core AMD processor, 4K resolution support for personal content (not games), and a newly designed DualShock controller with a built-in touchpad.

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